Feel free to chat and get acquainted until the top of the hour. This session is held 10:00-11:00 PM (EST). Once the seminar starts, please keep all comments relevant to the class topic.

Welcome to Effective Writing 1- CM 107Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Bill Durham

Are there any questions from Units 1-8?

APA Errors: APA errors are easily avoided with a

little care. Like spelling and grammar, correct APA format is an essential part of your essay. Adhering to a specific format is a hallmark of good writing and editing.

If you have questions about APA, check out the Writing Center’s help sheet at http://www.kaplan.edu/MyDesk2/Studentcenter/success/writing/pdfs/research/An_Introduction_To_APA.pdf

Some people do not believe that global warming is a legitimate problem. They feel that it is an agenda being pushed by liberals. They cite shaky scientific evidence as a reason not to buy into the global warming craze. I think it’s interesting that a small group of scientists say that climate change is just part of living on Earth like when the Ice Age froze nearly every corner of the planet. If we overreact, we may be working toward an unstoppable phenomenon anyway.

What’s missing here? How could we fix it?

Reporting broad ideas with no specific research.

How could these 3 quotes help?

“The sun has been a bit absent in 2009. Temperatures are about what we would expect for this time of year, and perhaps even cooler than normal given the early snows and mild summer. If this deep solar minimum continues,” Li Soon,2009 .

“Global-warming priests, while sermonizing about the need to spend trillions on new energy sources, almost never have a kind word for nuclear power - casting doubt on their motives. If the goal were really to reduce our carbon output (and not to recast our way of life), clean, efficient, affordable nuclear power would be the obvious choice,” Mona Charon, 2009.

“In contrast with human-created DDT, CO2, a ‘greenhouse gas’ has been part of the earth's atmosphere as long as the earth has existed. About 450 million years ago, the earth's atmospheric CO2 level was about 2,000 percent higher than it is today, at the same time the earth's atmosphere was about the same temperature as today,” Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., and Robert J. Cihak, M.D., 2006.

STUDENT WRITING

Some people do not believe that global warming is a legitimate problem. They feel that it is an agenda being pushed by liberals. They cite shaky scientific evidence as a reason not to buy into the global warming craze. I think it’s interesting that a small group of scientists say that climate change is just part of living on Earth like when the Ice Age froze nearly every corner of the planet. If we overreact, we may be working toward an unstoppable phenomenon anyway.

RESEARCH The sun has been a bit absent in 2009. Temperatures

are about what we would expect for this time of year, and perhaps even cooler than normal given the early snows and mild summer. If this deep solar minimum continues,” Li Soon,2009 .

“Global-warming priests, while sermonizing about the need to spend trillions on new energy sources, almost never have a kind word for nuclear power - casting doubt on their motives. If the goal were really to reduce our carbon output (and not to recast our way of life), clean, efficient, affordable nuclear power would be the obvious choice,” Mona Charon, 2009.

“In contrast with human-created DDT, CO2, a ‘greenhouse gas’ has been part of the earth's atmosphere as long as the earth has existed. About 450 million years ago, the earth's atmospheric CO2 level was about 2,000 percent higher than it is today, at the same time the earth's atmosphere was about the same temperature as today,” Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., and Robert J. Cihak, M.D., 2006.

Conversely, some people believe that global warming is not a legitimate problem, and that “[a]bout 450 million years ago, the earth's atmospheric CO2 level was about 2,000 percent higher than it is today, [while] at the same time the earth's atmosphere was about the same temperature as today,” (Glueck &. Cihak, 2006, p. 119). They also believe that those concerned about carbon output, rather than focusing on new energy sources, should be more willing to use nuclear power (Charon, 2009.)

Some general tips…

Essay writing falls into the category of formal writing.

Formal writing typically does not use “I, me, my, mine.”

It can undermine authority.

Online sources versus Print resources

Depending on a single source What has worked? What hasn’t?

Topic sentences carry the thesis through the essay

Restatement of thesis at the beginning of the conclusion

Organizational strategies to consider:

Broad to specific Cause and effect Process analysis Classification Problem-solution

Introductions and conclusions are an ideal way to incorporate your sense of style into your essay

The goal is to be engaging and informative

Conclusions work like an upside-down introduction; think of a funnel and then reversing that funnel

Omitting one or more parts of the essay:

1. Make a checklist2. Check that adequate time is

spent discussing the thesis3. Proofread

What have you learned about yourself as a writer on this heroic journey in CM 107?

As a life coach (hero), how can you be a helper for someone else beginning a journey?

May choose the expository essay or an action plan format.

The person being helped may be anyone: real, fictional, historical, etc.

Introduce yourself to your client: you will need to identify a person who needs help—this can be someone from history, fiction (books, television, movies), a celebrity, or someone from your life. Write an introduction to clarify who he or she is and why this person needs to embark on a helpful journey. (Unit 8 Scenario/Discussion)

Define the threshold he or she needs to cross. Explain its significance. (Unit 3 Exercise)

Create an extended definition of the way the hero’s journey steps in this course can help this person. (Unit 4 Discussion)

Indicate the short and long-term benefits of this journey (Unit 6 Exercise)

Provide a conclusion that recaps your plan and leaves a positive impression on your potential employer (Unit 8 Scenario and Seminar)

Introduction: Introduce yourself to the client in an appropriate way. What this means is if you have an established personal relationship with that person then you can be more personal in your introduction where you can tell him or her where you’d like to help out and why you think you can offer help in one area of his or her life. If you have a more professional relationship with the person, then keep the language on that level as well. No matter whether you have a personal or professional relationship with the client, you still have to write a professional, engaging plan that will motivate your client to work with you.

What is the goal?: Define the threshold you think the person needs to cross. This can be stated in terms of a goal that you think the person can achieve, and explain why reaching this goal is important to him or her. How will it benefit him or her? Explain the significance of reaching this goal.

Definition: Create an extended definition for the goal or “cure” you think is necessary for this person. For instance, if you are offering exercise and nutritional advice, offer an extended definition for health or wellness or even nutrition.

Long-term Effects: What are the long-term effects of this goal or cure? Think down the road and offer a thorough explanation of how working toward and achieving this goal is going to help this person out in the future.

Conclusion: End this action plan with more positive input and inspiration for this person. Offer some final closing remarks that are thoughtful and will motivate this person to want to work with you. You can think in terms of your strengths and what you have to offer or reiterate how this goal will help this person in their life.

Additional questions?

Thank you for a great Thank you for a great semester!semester!

Have a wonderful week!

Bill